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Marian track teams enjoy another banner day, sweep Pine Grove

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DAVID McKEOWN/Staff Photographer
Marian's Mark Buchinsky clears the bar in the high jump competition during a Schuylkill League meet on Thursday at Pine Grove.

PINE GROVE - Marian's James Kolbush collapsed to his knees for a moment following his leg of the boys' 1,600 relay Thursday.

One could forgive him. It was first time Kolbush, who isn't used to running 400-meter sprints, ran in the event for points before.

Kolbush is very familiar with the 110 and 300 hurdles. He won both of those, along with the 1,600 relay with Dom Mussoline, Matt Karnish and anchor Chris Bruno, to lift the Colts to a 79-62 win over Pine Grove in a Schuylkill League Division II meet at Cardinal Stadium.

With two regulars, Nico Agosti and Michael Grega, out for the event and the meet's outcome still in doubt, the Colts needed Kolbush to fill in. The quartet ended up running a 3:40.

That type of depth is a big reason why Marian (6-0, 5-0 D-II) remained undefeated on the season and now finds itself in control of its own destiny to earn its sixth division title since 2008.

"When Nico went down, somebody had to step up," Kolbush said. "When Grega went down ... We all came together as a team. We led ourselves to victory. We gave it our all."

The Marian girls (5-1, 5-0 D-II) also put themselves in position to win their second consecutive division title with an 87-54 victory over the Cardinals to complete the sweep.

All that stands between Marian and division championships are wins over Schuylkill Haven at home April 30.

Grega (800, 1,600) added two individual wins for Marian, but during the 3,200 he simply ran out of gas and pulled out of the race. Agosti, last year's Schuylkill League champ in the 200 and 400, pulled a hamstring at the Pan Ram Invitational last Saturday and is expected to miss the rest of the regular season.

Marian still had plenty of athletes to get it done.

Bruno and Sam Tomlin finished first and second in both the 100 and 200 - Bruno won the 100 in 11.2 seconds and Tomlin the 200 in 23.8. Sam Budusky (long jump), Mark Buchinsky (triple jump) and Lukas Damian (shot put) added individual wins for the Colts, while Mike Witczak, Connor Roberts, Mussoline and Karnish also won the 3,200 relay.

The Colts also had two disqualifications Thursday in the javelin and 400 relay. Marian was in position to win both events at the time and the final score could have been larger.

"It was not what I expected," Marian coach John Boyle said. "In all, anytime you win that's what we were looking for."

The last time Kolbush ran at Pine Grove, during their dual meet last season, he fell during the 300 hurdles and missed three weeks. He ended up with running a personal-best 46.63 at the District 11 Championships in Class AA, finishing 15th.

So far this season, Kolbush has been healthy and should be in the hunt for league or district medals come the postseason. He won the 110 hurdles in 17.0 on Thursday and the 300 hurdles in 44.6.

"Speed," Kolbush said of his season so far. "I've been getting a lot faster and I've been giving it my all. I want that district medal."

His big focus during the postseason will be the 300 hurdles.

"That's the event I fell in last year and that's the event that I was just taught that I should focus on because it just takes a lot of skill from the endurance and speed part of it and the form getting over the hurdle," Kolbush said. "I just want to give it my all and I want to do all the way with that."

The Cardinal girls (3-2, 3-1 D-II) entered Thursday as the only other remaining undefeated team in the division. Thanks to a four-win afternoon from freshman McKayla Lally (100, 200, high and long jump) and two wins from Kelli Readinger (100 hurdles, 300 hurdles), Pine Grove captured nine of the 17 events. However, the Fillies' depth led the way as they complied 16 runner-up finishes and eight thirds.

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